'10 crore rural households now have access to piped water facility,' says PM Modi

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that his administration had given water supply connections to seven crore rural families over the previous three years under the Jal Jeevan Mission, helping the nation reach the landmark of 10 crore such connections in villages.

Water security, which he described as one of the biggest concerns facing the world, could prove to be a significant obstacle for the nation as it moves closer to being "Viksit Bharat (developed India)," he stated. PM Modi was speaking via video link at a Goa government-organized event to mark the state's rural households now having piped water available in every home.

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Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the Union Minister for Jal Shakti, and Pramod Sawant, the Chief Minister of Goa, attended the event in Panaji. "In the seven decades since Independence, only three crore rural households had piped water connections. But in the last three years, since this mission was announced, our government has connected seven crore additional rural households through tap water," Modi said.

According to PM, about 16 crore rural households were reliant on alternative water sources when Modi announced the Jal Jeevan Mission. He said a large population could not continue to struggle. He claimed that the Har Ghar Jal Mission is encouraged by four crucial pillars: the involvement of the general public, stakeholder collaboration, political will, and optimal resource utilisation.

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According to the PM, the nation has reached three significant milestones, including the 10 crore rural areas with piped water connections. Second, the country now has 100% coverage of piped water in Goa and the union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, as well as Daman and Diu. Many more states would soon join the list of those with 100 percent coverage, he claimed. He further added that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan was responsible for the nation's third success.

"Some years back, the country had become open defecation (ODF) free and we took the mission of ODF plus. The country today has achieved a major milestone. More than one lakh villages in the country have become ODF plus. We should congratulate all the states and villages which achieved these milestones," he said.

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An ODF plus village is defined as a village which sustains its ODF status, ensures solid and liquid waste management, and is visually clean, officials said. "Globally, water security is one of the biggest challenges, and countries are working to tackle it. Water security could be a big challenge for India's march towards 'Viksit Bharat'," the PM said, adding that his government has taken up this challenge by working round the clock. "You don't have to strive much to form a government, but you need to put in great efforts to build a country," he added.

In a dig at the opposition, Modi alleged that people who were unconcerned with the country's present and future could just talk about saving water without doing anything to resolve the problem. "We have been trying to make sure that water shortage does not become a hindrance in the process of nation building for the last eight years," he stated.

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He said, "There is a report that wetland areas in the nation have expanded to 75, of which 50 were established in the last eight years. There is a favourable consequence due to numerous initiatives implemented by the government. "

The prime minister claimed that his administration established the Jal Shakti Ministry, which has been avidly promoting water security and conservation throughout the nation. Even amid the pandemic situation, ministry officials and state government employees continued to work, and the effects are now becoming apparent.

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The majority of those who benefit from the Har Ghar Jal initiative are women. He added that it helps us in our fight against malnutrition. "Women are the mission's primary emphasis because of this. Their time is saved, and their families are prevented the illnesses they would have otherwise caught from drinking tainted water "said he.

Local panchayats and gram sabhas are involved in this project, and locals are given specific tasks to do. The PM stated that the villages are participating in the construction of pipelines, setting water supply prices, and even inspecting the water before it is delivered to homes. A crucial foundation for this mission is political will.

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He claimed that in the last three years, "the work that could not be accomplished in the last 70 years has been achieved." According to the prime minister, Indians never set a target they couldn't accomplish.

(With inputs from PTI)